Fraternity to raise awareness of homelessness

Bo Gaston, secondary math education freshman, sits to inform students about Delta Alpha Chi’s Homeless Awareness Week on April 13 outside of the Tom and Brenda McDaniel Center. The week will culminate in an all-night Shack-a-thon on April 15, at which students will sleep outside. Photo: Courtney Zanetti/ The Campus

Delta Alpha Chi fraternity members are planning several important events for their annual campaign, Homeless Awareness Week, said Stephen Glasco, music theater sophomore.

Some DAX members will be living on the Quad Lawn from April 11-13, Glasco said.

“This is a tradition,” he said. “They sleep on the Quad, don’t eat food unless students donate it and stand out there to try to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.”

A “pay-what-you-can” hunger banquet will be hosted at 7 p.m. April 14. All proceeds from the dinner will go to Oklahoma’s Habitat for Humanity, Glasco said.

Guests from Habitat for Humanity and City Rescue Mission will speak at the banquet, he said.

“They will discuss what their organizations do to stop homelessness, what students can do to prevent homelessness and how we can connect better as a community,” Glasco said.

DAX will also introduce Shack-a-Thon this year, he said.

“Teams of up to five people will stay on the Quad on the night of April 15, and with cardboard they’re going to build cool shacks,” Glasco said. “It’s going to simulate what it’s like to live on the streets.”

All of the Greek organizations will be invited to Shack-a-Thon, he said.

“We’re also going to have tables outside of the cafeteria this week and next to provide information and registration forms for anyone interested in Homeless Awareness Week,” Glasco said.

DAX has been gathering support from other fraternities, he said.

“I’ve been speaking to the sororities and with the presidents of the fraternities,” Glasco said. “Whether they assist with raising money or Shack-a-Thon, we’re just trying to get IFC more involved.”

Funding for the week will come from Student Government Association, the DAX budget and Habitat for Humanity, said George Septer, business administration senior.

Habitat for Humanity helped donate most of the materials, such as cardboard and duct tape, he said.

“This is DAX’s biggest philanthropy event of the year,” Septer said. “And this is my first time experiencing it.”

DAX’s goal is to gain more involvement and to educate the student body on homelessness, he said.

“People are under the false pretense that homelessness is a choice,” Septer said. “No one in their right mind would choose to live this way, and it’s an issue that we want to bring to people’s consciousness.”